🔗 Share this article EPA Pressured to Ban Application of Antibiotics on US Agricultural Produce Amid Superbug Concerns A newly filed formal request from a dozen health advocacy and farm worker organizations is demanding the EPA to discontinue allowing the use of antibiotics on food crops across the US, pointing to superbug development and health risks to agricultural workers. Farming Industry Applies Millions of Pounds of Antibiotic Crop Treatments The farming industry uses about 8 million pounds of antimicrobial and fungicidal chemicals on US produce each year, with a number of these chemicals banned in foreign countries. “Each year Americans are at increased danger from harmful pathogens and infections because pharmaceutical drugs are applied on produce,” commented a public health advocate. Antibiotic Resistance Presents Major Health Dangers The widespread application of antimicrobial drugs, which are critical for addressing infections, as crop treatments on fruits and vegetables jeopardizes public health because it can result in antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Likewise, frequent use of antifungal treatments can lead to fungal infections that are more resistant with existing medical drugs. Drug-resistant infections affect about 2.8m individuals and lead to about thousands of fatalities each year. Public health organizations have connected “clinically significant antibiotics” approved for pesticide use to treatment failure, greater chance of bacterial illnesses and elevated threat of antibiotic-resistant staph. Environmental and Public Health Consequences Meanwhile, eating antibiotic residues on crops can disturb the intestinal flora and elevate the risk of chronic diseases. These agents also contaminate drinking water supplies, and are believed to harm pollinators. Frequently poor and Hispanic farm workers are most exposed. Frequently Used Agricultural Antimicrobials and Industry Methods Farms spray antibiotics because they kill microbes that can damage or wipe out plants. One of the popular antimicrobial treatments is a medical drug, which is frequently used in clinical treatment. Estimates indicate up to 125k lbs have been used on US crops in a annual period. Agricultural Sector Pressure and Government Response The legal appeal is filed as the Environmental Protection Agency experiences urging to increase the utilization of medical antimicrobials. The citrus plant illness, carried by the vector, is severely affecting fruit farms in Florida. “I understand their urgent need because they’re in serious trouble, but from a public health standpoint this is definitely a clear decision – it should not be allowed,” the advocate stated. “The fundamental issue is the enormous issues caused by spraying medical drugs on produce greatly exceed the agricultural problems.” Other Approaches and Long-term Outlook Experts recommend straightforward agricultural actions that should be tried before antibiotics, such as planting crops further apart, cultivating more disease-resistant types of produce and identifying infected plants and rapidly extracting them to stop the diseases from transmitting. The legal appeal provides the Environmental Protection Agency about five years to act. Several years ago, the regulator prohibited a pesticide in answer to a similar legal petition, but a judge overturned the agency's prohibition. The regulator can impose a prohibition, or must give a explanation why it will not. If the Environmental Protection Agency, or a subsequent government, declines to take action, then the groups can take legal action. The process could take over ten years. “We are engaged in the extended strategy,” the advocate concluded.